


Trouble At Midnight

by SmallRedRobin13



Series: Thank God I'm A Country Girl [3]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, How Do I Tag, Pre-Relationship, Robbery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 09:23:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11894766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmallRedRobin13/pseuds/SmallRedRobin13
Summary: After his friend is robbed and her cottage is trashed, Alex seeks revenge. Inspired by the time I failed to get to bed in time in-game and collapsed right outside my house.





	Trouble At Midnight

Midnight was a beautiful time. If Beth hadn’t been so tired, she might have stopped to admire it. She trudged up the front steps to her cottage, rubbing her eyes, when she heard the creak of the wooden steps behind her. She turned.   
“Wha-?”   
Someone slapped her across the face, knocking her to the ground. She raised her hands to protect her face as someone kicked her in the stomach.   
“Get her wallet!” Someone yelled, grabbing her trench coat and pulling it off her.   
“No!” She forced out between kicks as the other one rifled through her coat and pulled out the leather wallet Haley had bought her for her birthday.    
“I got it!” The other cried, tossing her coat aside as the pair ran for it. Once they were out of sight, Beth stumbled to her feet, groaning as she unlocked the door to find her cottage trashed. She sighed, walking in the vague direction of her bed before collapsing on it, allowing sleep to carry her away to better things.

Alex found himself glancing at the road Beth walked down every day with anticipation, excitement even. He liked talking to her and she’d put up with his arrogance in return. But when it hit midday and Beth failed to arrive, his anticipation was slowly replaced with trepidation.    
“She probably just got caught up in farm work.” He told himself, despite knowing for a fact that all she had to do today was water some plants and feed the chickens, a task that would have taken her two hours at most. He set off in a jog, deciding to check on her, maybe surprise her with a visit. When he reached the farm, he found the door wide open, with the washing line overloaded with sheets.   
“Beth?” He called, as the woman herself walked out carrying a box full of smashed objects.   
“Alex, hey! Sorry I didn’t come to visit, I’ve been cleaning.” She explained, tossing the box in the trash. That was when Alex noticed the bruises.   
“Beth, where did you get those?” He asked, striding closer to inspect them.  
“I fell.” She simply said, as Alex brushed aside some of her purple hair to inspect a particularly nasty one.   
“Beth, you didn’t fall. What really happened?” Alex enquired, noticing a tear in her coat.    
“I… got attacked. These guys trashed my cottage then came up behind me and took my wallet. Most of my money was in there.” She admitted, glancing away. Alex frowned, a growl escaping from his throat.   
“You didn’t happen to see their faces, did you?”   
“No… sorry.” Beth replied, “You mind giving me a hand cleaning up?”   
“Sure.” Alex agreed, his blood boiling. He knew the area well enough to know that there were only two people nearby who would be cruel enough to ruin someone’s life like this.   
  
Benjamin ‘Benny’ Lane hated his life. He hated the small town, the farms, the constant competition between his town and the other villages in the area. Jacob, another guy from his town, agreed with his views and the pair had formed a close friendship.   
“Wanna go to the arcade?” Jacob asked, taking a puff from his cigarette.   
“In a minute.” Benny replied, noticing the young man in a green jacket storming towards them. Benny had been to the arcade a thousand times and, quite frankly, reckoned he would find more entertainment by staying right where he was. As the man advanced, Benny recognised him as Alex, from Stardew Valley.    
“You!” Alex bellowed, grabbing Jacob’s collar once he was in reach.   
“Yeah?” Jacob grunted.   
“Where’s the money?”   
“What money?”   
“The money you took for Manor Farm after you trashed the place.” Alex spat, leaning closer. Benny deliberated between intervening or not and eventually decided that he probably should.   
“Yeah? So what if he did?”   
“That farmer needs the money. Where is it?”    
“I spent it.”    
At that, Alex dropped Jacob and stuck Benny, sending him stumbling back. With a roar, he charged forward, swinging wildly. 

Alex probably shouldn’t have gotten into that fight with Benny and Jacob, but he liked to think that he came out on top injuries wise. Due to his broken nose and several aching bruises, his Grandmother had forbidden him from leaving the house for several days now and, aside from Harvey to check how he was healing, he hadn’t had any visitors. Evelyn poked her head through the door to his bedroom, her grey hair falling from her loose bun.   
“Alex dear? Beth is here to see you.”   
Beth stepped inside, her bruises nearly healed.   
“Hey.”   
“Hey.”   
For a moment they both stood there awkwardly, searching for something to say, until Alex stood and searched his drawer.   
“I know I put it in here somewhere… ahah!” He cried, pulling out the wallet he’d taken off Jacob.   
“You got it back?” Beth checked as Alex handed it to her.   
“Yep.” He confirmed, a grin spreading across his face.   
“Thank you. I know it can’t have been easy.”   
“Hey, at least our bruises match now, right?” He joked. Beth smiled, stifling a giggle as she slipped the wallet into her pocket.


End file.
